Blow-off muffler



March 12, 1935. c. w. PLOEN 1,993,895

BLOWOFF MUFFLER Filed OO(.. 18, 1950 2 z a 4 a 2o 21 1 qu U12 T 5; W1 6 we? r i 255 N M M Patented Mar. 12, 1935 PATENT OFFICE BLOW-OFF MUFFLER Curtis W. Ploen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Okadee Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application October 18, 1930, Serial No. 489,550

1 Claim.

The invention relates generally to mutilers or silencers for steam blow-01f pipes. More particularly the invention relates to that type of muiller which is designed primarily for use in connection with the blow-off valve of a locomotive steam engine and comprises a vertically extending cylindrically shaped casing through which the steam from the blow-off valve passes downwardly in 'a sinuous path, and a tubular open-ended exhaust member which is formed integrally with and projects radially from the lower end of the casing and operates to form a laterally extending outlet duct for the steam.

One object of the invention is to provide a muffler of this type in which the exhaust member is equipped with coacting baffles which are arranged and formed in an improved manner and operate to break up the outflow of steam through the outlet duct.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mulller of the type here under consideration which is generally of new and improved construction, may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost and is an improvement upon and more eflicient in operation thanthe mufiier that is disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by John Webster Small, Aaron Grayson Dawson and Charles Walter Buffington on the 3rd day of October, 1929 and bearing Serial No. 396,993.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present muffler construction will be apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by the claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in whichlike numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a mulller embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a View, partly in plan and partly in section, exhibiting in detail the arrangement and construction of the battles which operate to break up the out-flow of steam through the outlet duct in the radially extending exhaust member; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

The mufiler which forms the subject matter of the present invention is designed primarily for use in connection with the blow-01f valve of a locomotive steam engine and is adapted to be disposed beneath the steam boiler and to be connected to the blow-off valve by a pipe 4. It is formed of a one-piece casting and comprises acasing 5 which consists of a cylindrical side wall 6, a circular top 7 and a bottom 8. The central portion of the top 7 is extended upwardly to form an inlet nipple 9. This nipple has formed therein an internal screw-thread 10 for connection to an external screw-thread on the pipe 4.

Housed or contained in the casing 5 is a spreader 11 which consists of a conical top 12 and an annular wall 13. The latter depends from and is formed integrally with the marginal part of the top 12. The spreader is positioned beneath and in concentric relation with the top '7 and is held in its operative position by webs 14. There are preferably four of the webs 14 and the latter are formed integrally with the casing and the spreader and serve to space the top 12 from the casing-top 7 and thereby form a chamber 15 into which the steam flows from the pipe 4. By virtue of the "fact that the top 12 is of conical formation the steam entering the chamber 15 through the pipe 4 is deflected outwardly and against the upper portion of the cylindrical side wall 6. The annular wall 13 of the spreader 11 is spaced inwardly from the side wall 6 and forms with the latter a tubular passageway 16 into which the steam passes from the chamber 15. The central portion of spreader 11 is hollow.

Disposed beneath the annular wall 13 is baiile ring 17. This ring is positioned substantially midway between the spreader l1 and the bottom 8 and operates to direct inwardly the steam that passes through the tubular passageway 16. The outer marginal portion of the baflie ring is formed integrally with the cylindrical side wall 6 of the casing. The inner marginal portion of the ring is curved upwardly, as at 18, so as to guide the steam upwardly into the hollow part of the spreader and against the under side of the top 12 for diffusing or mufiiing purposes. From the hollow part of the spreader, the steam fiOWS downwardly through the central opening in the 4 baffle ring 17 into a compartment 19 which is formed between the ring and the bottom 8 of the casing.

The mufiler, in addition to the casing 5, comprises a tubular open-ended exhaust member 20 which is formed integrally with the lower end of the cylindrical side wall 6 and projects radially therefrom. This member is rectangular in cross section and comprises a top wall 21, sides 22 and a bottom wall 23. The top wall 21 and the bottom wall 23 are coplanar with the baiiie ring 17 and the bottom 8 respectively and form with the sides 22 a laterally extending outlet duct 24 which communicates with and receives steam from the compartment 19. To break up and diffuse the steam as it passes through the outlet duct 24, vertically extending baffles 25, 26, 2'7 and 28 are provided. The bafiie 25 is located within the casing 5 and is positioned centrally with respect to the duct 24. It extends between and is formed integrally with the ring 17 and the bottom 8 and embodies inwardly curved ends 25 which are spaced from the sides 22 of the exhaust member 20, and serves to direct the steam circumferentially with respect to the casing and towards the aforesaid sides of the exhaust member. The baffles 26 and 27 face one another and project inwardly from the central portions of the sides 22. They extend between and are formed integrally with the top wall 21 and the bottom wall 23 and operate to cause the steam to flow inwardly after it passes around the ends 25 of the baffle 25. The inner ends of the baffles 26 and 2'7 are arranged in lapped relation with respect to the ends of the baffle 25 and are curved inwardly so as to direct the steam towards the back face of the bafiie 25. The baffle 28 is coextensive with the baille 25 and is positioned between the extreme outer end of the exhaust member 20 and the baiiles 26 and 2'7. It extends between and is formed intogrally with the top wall 21 and the bottom wall 23 and is aligned with the bafiie 25 and positioned centrally in the duct 24. The endsof the baffle 28 are curved inwardly and operate to direct the steam towards the sides 22 of the member 20 after it passes between the bailles 26 and 27. The baiiies 25, 26, 27 and 28 coact to cause the steam to take a serpentine course as it travels through the exhaust member 20. A characteristic and an advantage of arranging and forming the bailies 25,. 26, 27 and 28 in the manner set forth is that the steam is caused to take a serpentine course and pass back and forth as it travels through the duct 24. As a result of being subjected to the action of the battles, the steam is retarded and diffused and emanates from the duct 24 in a muilied condition. By virtue of the fact that the steam is discharged laterally with respect to the casing and in a'mufiled or silenced condition, the possibility of damage resulting from the discharge of steam from the muffler is avoided.

An opening is formed in the bottom wall 23 of the exhaust member 20 between the bailles 26 and 2'7. This opening forms an outlet for any condensation that accumulates in the duct 24.

The operation of the muifler is as follows:

When steam is discharged through the pipe 4, it passes downwardly into the compartment 15 and is directed outwardly by the conical formation of the spreader-top 12. From the compartment 15 the steam travels downwardly through the tubular passageway 16 which is formed between the cylindrical side wall 6 and the annular wall 13. From the passageway 16 the steam is directed inwardly and upwardly by the bafile ring 17 and then flows downwardly into the compartment 19. From the compartment 19 the steam, together with any condensation that may have been formed, flows towards the baille 25 and is divided into two streams which are directed towards the sides 22 of the exhaust member 20. From the sides 22 the two streams of steam are directed inwardly by the baiiies 26 and 27 and pass centrally through the duct 24 until arrested by the baffle 28. The latter again divides the steam into two streams which are directed towards the sides 22 and are finally discharged through the open end of the member 20. In view of the fact that the bailies 25, 26, 2'7 and 28 coact to cause the steam to pass back and forth and take a serpentine course as it travels through the duct 24, the steam is discharged in a completely mufiled and silenced condition and there is no jet or blast from the muilier. The spreader 11 and the baffle ring 17 operate to effect a primary muiiling of the steam as it flows downwardly through the compartment 19. The baiiies 25, 26, 27 and 28 serve to effect a secondary muflling of the steam as the latter flows from the compartment 19 through the duct 24.

The herein disclosed muiiier is extremely eflicient in operation and may be manufactured readily and economically for the reason that all of the parts are formed integrally.

Although the muffler has been described for use in connection with a blow-off valve of a locomotive steam engine, it is to be understood that it may be used equally as well in other capacities and with other fluids. It is also to be understood that the invention is notto be restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a blow-off muffier of the character described, the combination of a vertically extending casing having a fiuid inlet in the upper part thereof and consisting of a top, a cylindrical side wall and an imperforate bottom; means in the casing for effecting a primary muiiling of the fluid introduced into the inlet, including a baflle ring joined to and projecting inwardly from the central portion of the side wall of the casing and adapted to have the fluid pass downwardly therethrough into the lower part of the casing; a tubular exhaust member of substantially rectangular cross section joined to and projecting laterally from the lower part of the casing and arranged so as to form an outlet duct for the fluid and so that the top and bottom walls thereof are substantially coplanar with the ring and casing bottom respectively and its side walls extend substantially tangentially with respect to the casing side wall and are joined to said side wall at diametrically opposite points; a vertically extending baiile at the entrance to the outlet duct joined to and extending between the bafile ring and the bottom of the casing and positioned centrally with respect to the entrance of the duct in order to retard the fluid and separate it into two streams as it flows into the duct; and means for effecting a secondary mufiiing of the fluid consisting of vertical baffles positioned in staggered relation in the duct and extending between the top and bottom walls of the exhaust member.

CURTIS W. PLOEN. 

